Health blog
It’s Not ‘Just’ an Ankle Sprain
Have you ever “rolled” your ankle?
Chances are that you have, because what is commonly referred to as a “rolled ankle” or ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries that people experience. It’s important to know though that once an ankle is sprained, the chances of re-spraining it go up dramatically. Fortunately, there are steps you can take in order to get back on your feet.
First, let’s talk about what happens when you “roll” your ankle.
Read full blogShoulder Tendonitis Defined
Shoulder tendonitis is a very common problem for every age group and one we treat often at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone. With respect to the shoulder, the muscles that are most frequently inflamed are your rotator cuff and bicep tendon. Our patients will typically complain about pain along the front of the shoulder. Patients often complaint of pain with overhead activities, lifting items, reaching behind their back or pain when washing their hair.
Read full blogCommon Causes of SI Joint Pain
What in the world is an SI joint? Why is it even important?
SI joint problems can happen in people of all ages and fitness levels. Many young athletes often complain about lower back pain or symptoms that radiated down their legs. You might be thinking, ‘They’re young. They can’t have low back problems. They’re in peak physical condition and participate in sports practices for hours a day!’ So why were they coming into the athletic training room with lower back issues?
Read full blogCommon Rock Climbing Injuries
Rock Climbing, whether indoor or outdoor, is tough on your body. It takes a great amount of strength to perform as well as to prevent injuries. Injuries can range from acute, traumatic injuries to chronic, overuse injuries. Below are some of the common injuries rock climbers are susceptible to.
- Shoulder impingement. Shoulder impingement is an injury that is caused by repetitive motions, especially with a lot of overhead or reaching activities.
Meniscus Tears 101
Meniscus Tear – The Basics
A meniscus is the cartilage that is found in the knee joint that sits between the bones of the leg known as the femur and tibia. Think of 2 pads that cushion the inner and outer aspects of your knee. It functions to absorb shock, distribute the load of forces in the knee and to keep the joint lubricated by moving around fluids.
A meniscus tear can frequently occur with twisting or turning activities often when the foot is planted.
Read full blogWhy the Spine Needs Discs
What are they and why do we need them?
To start, let’s talk about what these discs are. You may have heard the analogy that the discs in your back are like a jelly doughnut. The disc should be filled with fluid kind of like the strawberry jelly in one of these treats. The outer lining of the disc is made of up rings and then in the center, there is a jelly-like fluid.
Read full blog4 Tips for Working at a Desk
A lot of us spend most of our day occupied by work. Some are working in an office, and some are working from home. Many are stuck in front of a computer at a desk for most of the day so it is important to make sure that we set ourselves up for success when we are stuck in one spot for a long period of time.
- Make sure your workspace is set up in an ergonomic way.
Why Does My Knee Hurt When I Sit Too Long?
Has your knee ever started to hurt after sitting for a period time? This may mean you have arthritis. Luckily, physical therapy can help eliminate the symptoms you experience with arthritis.
Arthritis:
Osteoarthritis: caused by the mechanical wearing away of the cartilage (cushion) between joints. Pain can be caused by frayed pieces of cartilage getting caught or from two boney surfaces being in greater contact with each other.
Read full blogWhat is the most underrated form of physical activity? Walking!
Definitions:
- Physical Activity: any movement that’s carried out by muscles, thus requiring energy
- E.g. walking from the front door of your house to the mailbox at the end of your driveway
- Exercise: planned, structured, and repetitive movement intended to improve or maintain health/fitness.
- E.g. Taking a ¼ mile walk around a track because you want to get your heart rate up
Benefits of Walking:
- Gentle mobility for the lumbar spine (low back): the rotational movement at your trunk keeps the joints in your back lubricated
- Bone Loading: when taking a step, we put force into the ground and the ground puts force back into us (if it didn’t exert force back into us, our feet would be sinking).
Does my low back MRI matter?
Have you been told you have a disc bulge at L4-L5? Has another healthcare provider told you that you will likely need surgery? That you will not be able to perform some activity ever again because of the image that was taken?
Patients will sometimes come into physical therapy practices bringing with them the results of their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and are afraid of their prognosis. Sometimes patients will even be seeking MRIs because of their pain.
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